6 inventions that were made by mistake
Some of our life-changing inventions were actually made by mistake or coincidence. Inventions we take for granted today was something the pioneers couldn’t even dream of making. Read further to learn about 6 discoveries you didn’t know was made by mistake.
1. LSD invented by Albert Hoffmann.
The Swiss scientist Albert Hoffmann synthesized LSD 1938, in Switzerland. He attempted to create a blood stimulant. However, Hoffmann accidentally swallowed the substance in 1943 and was the first person to experience an LSD trip. Only 25 micrograms of LSD taken orally is enough to have intense hallucinations.
2. Microwave invented by Percy Spencer.
In 1945, the American engineer Percy Spencer passed by a radar system which radiated microwaves with the frequency of 2,5 gigahertz and by accident his candy bar melted in his pocket. Spencer was working for the electric company Raytheon, who later invented the first microwave in 1947 called “Raydarange”.
3. Hook and loop fastener invented by George de Mestral
The Swiss electrical engineer Mestral discovered in 1941 that the plant Burdock stuck to his dog’s fur and his own clothes all the time when he walked in the Alps. He decided to examine the plant and discovered that it has microscopic hooks. Mestral learnt that when nylon was sewn under infrared light, the material formed small but very strong hooks. The hooks stuck easier on softer nylon material and that’s how it was invented.
4. Pacemaker invented by John Hopps.
The Canadian electrical engineer John Hopps researched in hypothermia in 1941 and tried to higher the body temperature with radio frequency heating. As a result, he discovered that a heart that stopped beating due to cold could start again with the help of artificial stimulation. This lead to the development of the first pacemaker and in 1949 he tried it on a dog’s heart for the first time.
5. Sugar substitute invented by James M. Schlatter
The artificial sweetener was discovered in 1965 when the American chemist James M. Schlatter was working with developing the substance Aspartame. Accidentally, he got some of it on his fingertips. Unaware, he later licked his finger and tasted the sweetness of the substance. Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
6. X-ray invented by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen.
One day the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen worked in his laboratory in 1895, he observed that the cathode rays he studied could go through objects. He explored with cathode ray tubes when he discovered this by an accident.
Inventions aren’t always acts of methodical precision. Where would we be without these mistakes today?
Wow I didn’t know these inventions were invented by accident! Fun to read about things like this!